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THE POSSIBLE BEATTY CANDIDACY has been keeping progressive politicos
atwitter. But is a Hollywood actor-producer-director the best hope for
those who call for worker-friendly and consumer-friendly—as opposed to
corporate-friendly—policies and priorities? Is there no one else? Even
Beatty has questioned whether he is the person best suited to lead the
charge.

At a rock concert last week, I glimpsed another possibility. In the
lobby of the MCI Center in Washington, there was a boy, 10 years old or
so, wearing a t-shirt that read, “Springsteen for President.” If a
magazine publisher or television debater or data company CEO or
professional wrestler can run or consider running, why not a musician?
Springsteen long has been an icon-with-substance for the working class.

In a quiet fashion, he has supported a variety of causes and do-good
outfits (alternative energy, food banks, the Vietnam Veterans of
America). He donated tickets to the first of his three Washington shows
to World Hunger Year, an anti-hunger nonprofit, and from the stage he
praised the Capital Area Community Food Bank. (“The economy is not
benefiting all,” Springsteen said.) The songs he has written and
performed have brought a human touch to many issues: farm policy
(“Seeds”), the plight of American steelworkers (“Youngstown”), income
inequality and the downside of globalization (“The Ghost of Tom Joad”),
telecommunications (“57 Channels”), AIDS (“Streets of Philadelphia”),
veterans affairs (“Born in the USA”), urban dislocation (“My Hometown”)
and war (“War”). He also has not been reluctant to express his dismay
with political leaders. Last week, he told the audience in Washington
that many people are lost in confusion and bitterness—“especially here.”

Springsteen could easily reach out to various constituencies. He’d be a
hit with Hispanic voters, for he participated in protests against the
anti-immigrant Proposition 187 in California. Thanks to the presence of
saxophonist Clarence “Big Man” Clemons, Springsteen’s E Street Band was
one of the few muscle-rock groups to be racially integrated. And the
Boss also boasts ideological crossover potential. Before the first
Washington show, I ran into Brent Bozell, a leading hard-right activist,
at the liquor store next to the arena. Don’t tell me, I said to him,
that you’re a Springsteen fan. “Me and my whole family,” he answered
with a smile. Don’t you know, I asked, that he stands for everything
you’re against—social justice, communal values, government assistance
for the less fortunate? Bozell, who spends much of his life searching
for left-wing bias in the establishment media, nodded and remarked. “All
my favorite musicians and actors are communists.” You may wonder how a
conservative like Bozell can get juiced up by a compassionate liberal
populist like Springsteen. (The Ghost of Tom Joad was a direct whack at
the laissez-faire triumphalism of Newt Gingrich’s so-called Republican
revolution.) But Bozell may be part of a trend.

At the same show, I encountered a television news producer I know. She
was so excited she was practically shaking. “My two all-time heroes,”
she explained, “are Ronald Reagan and Bruce Springsteen.” In a political
sense, Springsteen is the anti-Reagan. In 1984, he responded quite
angrily when Reagan, at the behest of columnist George Will, tried to
appropriate “Born in the USA.” (That was a foolish move on Reagan and
Will’s part, since the tune, despite its upbeat tag line, was about the
alienation and bitterness of veterans who had been sent to fight a
pointless war in Vietnam. In concert these days, Springsteen reclaims
the song by performing it solo as he originally conceived it—a stark,
haunting number with only an eerily reverbed acoustic guitar to
accompany his twangy vocals. No one could mistake it for a jingoistic,
patriotic anthem.) Might there be a voting bloc political scientists
will one day dub “Springsteen Republicans,” a la Reagan Democrats?

Springsteen

At the core of Springsteen’s music is the recognition that yearning is
an essential part of life, a fundamental message that appeals to those
in different ideological and demographic categories. His imagery and
poetry has been that of the working-class male. But yuppie lawyers,
soccer moms and right-wing media analysts can identify with
Springsteen’s admonition that it is okay to reach far, to wish for much.
And they’re drawn to his sympathetic identification with those who fall
short of their dreams. Perhaps candidate Springsteen could first reach
people at this gut level—and then persuade them to support a boost in
the minimum wage, fair trade pacts, campaign finance reform, government
funds for rebuilding economically distressed areas (a notion he’s
previously advocated), universal health coverage and laws that bolster
union organizing.

I admit that the Springsteen for President cause is a long shot.
Springsteen has always shied away from conventional politics. As he told
his Washington audience, he doesn’t endorse presidential candidates.
When he came to Washington in 1995 on his solo Tom Joad tour, he turned
down an offer to visit the White House of Bill Clinton. “In my opinion,”
he explained at the time, “the artist has to keep his distance.” He’s
self-effacing and doesn’t like to make promises he cannot keep. (“I
can’t promise you life ever after,” he shouted as a mock-preacher at the
MCI Center. “But I can promise you life right now.”) In an interview
several years ago, he told me, “I don’t like the soapbox stuff. I don’t
believe you can tell people anything. You can show them things... I
don’t set out to make a point. I set out to create understanding and
compassion.”

In a time when Jesse Ventura can be considered a presidential contender,
the field truly is wide open. Sure, Springsteen may not be as steeped in
policy details as Al Gore or Bill Bradley. But he is just as, if not
more, thoughtful. And aren’t his leadership and communication skills
more developed? Isn’t he more sincere? Doesn’t he empathize more with
common voters? This hardworking working-class rocker who became a
multimillionaire without any help from his father probably is too modest
to seek the presidency. But there are other options. Beatty, should he
enter the race, will need a running mate. And isn’t there an open Senate
seat in New Jersey? After all, that’s a state with a history of electing
to office someone who performs well in basketball arenas. Springsteen
might be more born-to-run than he ever
imagined.

JWR contributor David Corn, Washington Editor of The
Nation, writes the "Loyal Opposition" column for The New York Press.